Performance indicators: measuring the contribution of culture and sport to the environment

These are suggestions of how to measure the contribution of culture and sport to better environmental outcomes.

Not all of these suggestions will be relevant to your local outcomes. You should select a small number of indicators from across the different levels that together best measure the contribution of culture and sport to your service, intermediate and overarching strategic outcomes. You should draw on available data from existing sources within your local council and elsewhere wherever possible.

Overarching strategic outcome indicators

These are high-level non-cultural or -sport indicators that you want to demonstrate, and can evidence, culture and sport contribute towards. Your overarching strategic outcome indicators should reflect those found in high level documents that set out the overall responsibilities of your local council and its major partners.

Examples include:

Percentage of local sites where positive conservation management is being achieve

CO2 emissions from local authority own estate and operations

Air quality

Life years lost from air pollution

Proportion of: - urban trips under 5 miles taken by walking or cycling, or by public transport - households with good transport access to key services or work.

Intermediate outcome indicators

These should include indicators that reflect the specific contribution of culture and sport to the intermediate outcomes.

Examples include percentage of:

participants who agree that culture and sport projects, activities or events have encouraged them to walk or cycle or take alternative methods of transport other than car

participants who agree that culture and sport projects, activities or events have encouraged them to be more aware of their impact on the environment, to reduce, reuse and recycle, respect the natural environment or minimise the natural resources they use

participants who agree that culture and sport projects, activities or events have increased their awareness of the local biodiversity

residents satisfied with their built environment

tourists who include the local natural and built environment among their reasons for visiting the area.

Intermediate outcome indicators may also include non-cultural or -sporting indicators that are short- to medium-term ‘proxy' measures for the overarching strategic outcomes.

Examples include:

Percentage of: - young people and adults participating in regular volunteering - residents who agree they have more influence on shaping where they live

residents who agree that culture and sport activities have increased their understanding of the local heritage

users who have walked or cycled to culture and sport provision

the population living within an 'x' mile radius of specific facilities

conservation areas with an up-to-date (within the last five years) character appraisal

residents regularly engaged as heritage volunteers

CO2 reductions from culture and sport provision.

Where possible, indicators should be broken down further, for example, by geographic area or target wards or by specific groups, such as different age groups or disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. They can also be broken down to differentiate in-house, commissioned or external provision.

Service output indicators

These indicators are also specific to culture and sport.

Examples include:

Percentage of users satisfied with specific culture and sport facilities, services or events

Energy efficiency ratings of culture and sport facilities

Tonnes of CO2 saved from culture and sport facilities

Amount of heritage at risk

Net expenditure on culture and sport provision per head of population.

Where possible, indicators should be broken down further, for example, by geographic area or target wards or by specific groups, such as different age groups or disadvantaged or vulnerable groups. They can also be broken down to differentiate in-house, commissioned or external provision.